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Story Beats

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Main Story — Full Story Beats Walkthrough
This walkthrough covers released Story Beats 1–85, inclusive. Beat 85 is the current release endpoint. Use the row for your current beat to find the location, arrival window, and prerequisites that move the story forward.
Spoiler-light guide: Locations, required characters, side-story names, and combat preparation appear here so you can progress. Major identity revelations, character fates, transformations, and scene endings are omitted. Reading only your current range keeps later travel and recruitment requirements a surprise.
Credit to Sh1n7 for the community Story Beats guide that inspired this page.

How to Follow the Story

The main sequence progresses in order. Except for Beat 1, every row assumes the previous numbered beat is complete. The requirement column lists additional gates or useful preparation; an empty dash means there is no extra requirement in that beat's trigger beyond the preceding beat, location, and time window.
Most beats start automatically when you enter their exact location with the requirements satisfied. A map district, building exterior, or adjoining room is not interchangeable with the listed room. After preparing a missing requirement, leave and re-enter the trigger location. Finish the scene and its choices so completion is recorded.
Two beats use explicit location actions:
  • Beat 8: at the Dojo, choose Ask Lilu to Train You.
  • Beat 11: at the University Research Lab, choose Discuss the Research Findings.
Entering those two rooms alone does not launch their beats. An action can disappear after its beat has been completed.
Nova's Communications message supplies a hint for the current main-story step. It is useful for checking where the game expects you to go. At the released endpoint, it changes to the end-of-current-content message. If an edition/access-limit message appears earlier, that is a separate content-access boundary.

Reading Time Windows

All hours below use the in-game clock and a 24-hour format. Windows include their start and exclude their end: 09:00–17:00 means 09:00 through 16:59; exactly 17:00 is too late. 22:00–00:00 covers 22:00 through 23:59. 19:00–03:00 crosses midnight and also includes 00:00 through 02:59.
Any means the story trigger has no narrower hour requirement. A location's own opening hours or access restrictions still apply. The Library's normal 08:00–22:00 access is called out where relevant. The listed era and district help distinguish similar room names.
The arrival windows for Beats 48, 49, 50, 51, and 53 are enforced, just like the other timed triggers.

Major Gates to Prepare For

Before beat Prepare
4 Sonia: Acquaintance or higher
23 Successful Hack Archive Terminal
24 Robin: Crush or higher
32 With Require TD for Story ON, clear all 10 Hideout waves
33 Have $20,000 in available Wealth; The $20,000 is spent
36 Willow active
37 Willow active
38 Player knows Blink
39 Kasumi active
43 Bella: Romantic or higher; Blinky: Romantic or higher; Blinky: Never Been Kissed heart-to-heart completed
47 Miki: Friend or higher; Comic Con with Miki completed; The GuGuDolly Emergency completed
48 Dance Studio Clout 25+
49 Abby: Crush or higher
50 Miki: Crush or higher
51 Miki: Crush or higher; Carry one Flowers item; The Flowers item is consumed
53 Meet Christy's Cousin Mary Ann completed
55 Have $10,000,000 in available Wealth; The $10,000,000 is spent
58 Floor 25 dungeon guardian defeated
64 Gem active
68 Tinker: I Have Hands completed; Jinx: The One Variable completed
72 Ghost Discovers Ancient Ruins completed
75 Anthrax: Report for Training completed
76 Complete the Synergy Corp bug-planting operation (The Bug); With Require TD for Story ON, clear all 20 Fortress waves
79 Complete Sashina's A Final Preparation / Sashina's Gift personal-story event; Pixie, Ember active
80 All twelve required workers active; Required participants must not be on resort vacation; See the twelve-worker roster and vacation checklist below
Relationship names such as Crush and Romantic refer to the relationship stage, not an invitation category or a fixed number of points added by this guide. A higher stage qualifies. A worker listed as active must have been recruited and activated; merely meeting them or defeating an associated encounter is not always the same thing. Required Rose & Thorn specialty rooms must also be accessible.

Beats 1 to 10 — Present Era

The Early Game Walkthrough covers the surrounding tutorials and early preparation. The table below gives the main-story trigger route. Restore resources before Beats 6 and 10; their story routes include successive combat encounters.
Beat Where to enter Arrival window Additional gates / preparation
1 University Research Lab — Present, Uptown 09:00–17:00 —
2 City Beach (Uptown) — Present, Uptown 08:00–18:00 —
3 Nova's Quantum Research Lab — Future, Fringe Zone 00:00–23:00 —
4 University Research Lab — Present, Uptown 09:00–17:00 Sonia: Acquaintance or higher
5 City Beach (Uptown) — Present, Uptown 08:00–18:00 —
6 Back Alley — Present, Downtown 22:00–00:00 Two successive battles; restore resources first
7 Police Station — Present, Downtown 15:00–23:00 —
8 Dojo — Present, Downtown 10:00–22:00 Manual: Ask Lilu to Train You; recover afterward
9 Hidden Waterfall — Present, Uptown 07:00–11:00 Long training; recover before the next combat visit
10 Back Alley — Present, Downtown 22:00–00:00 Four successive battles; restore resources first

Beats 11 to 23 — Research and Travel

Prepare for successive fights before Beat 19. At Beat 23, the Archive hacking requirement is independent of arriving at the correct building.
Beat Where to enter Arrival window Additional gates / preparation
11 University Research Lab — Present, Uptown 09:00–17:00 Manual: Discuss the Research Findings
12 Police Station — Present, Downtown 15:00–23:00 —
13 Downtown Restaurant — Present, Downtown 19:00–21:00 —
14 Nova's Quantum Research Lab — Future, Fringe Zone Any —
15 Underground Resistance Hideout — Future, Fringe Zone 13:00–23:00 —
16 Surplus Distribution Center — Future, Fringe Zone 12:00–18:00 —
17 Ancient Earth Shrine — Medieval, Village Outskirts 06:00–15:00 —
18 Surplus Distribution Center — Future, Fringe Zone 12:00–18:00 —
19 Industrial Waste Processing Zone — Future, Fringe Zone 08:00–18:00 Four successive battles; restore resources first
20 Underground Modification Clinic — Future, Prime Sector Any —
21 Nova's Quantum Research Lab — Future, Fringe Zone Any —
22 Glitch's Den — Future, Fringe Zone Any Long scene; restore food and Energy afterward
23 Modified Historical Archive Facility — Future, Fringe Zone Any Successful Hack Archive Terminal

Beats 24 to 35 — Resistance Route

If Tower Defense is required for story progress, finish the Hideout campaign between Beats 31 and 32. Its ten cleared waves must be recorded when you return to the main game.
Beat Where to enter Arrival window Additional gates / preparation
24 Robin's Hunting Lodge — Medieval, Village Outskirts 18:00–00:00 Robin: Crush or higher
25 Nova's Quantum Research Lab — Future, Fringe Zone Any —
26 Archery Range — Medieval, Kings Demesne 09:00–18:00 —
27 Nova's Quantum Research Lab — Future, Fringe Zone Any —
28 Virtual Recreation Optimization Center — Future, Prime Sector Any —
29 Underground Modification Clinic — Future, Prime Sector Any —
30 Nova's Quantum Research Lab — Future, Fringe Zone Any —
31 Underground Resistance Hideout — Future, Fringe Zone Any If TD is required, use Defend the Hideout after this scene, before returning to the Clinic
32 Underground Modification Clinic — Future, Prime Sector Any With Require TD for Story ON, clear all 10 Hideout waves
33 Synthetic Beings Recharge Station — Future, Prime Sector 18:00–00:00 Have $20,000 in available Wealth; The $20,000 is spent
34 Operations Center — Future, Resistance base Any —
35 AIMy's Control — Future, Resistance base Any —

Beats 36 to 46 — Rose and Thorn Route

The Altar Chamber, the shrine's main interior, and Sorceress Home are separate destinations. The Rose & Thorn's Nurse's Room, Arcane Room, and Bar are also separate rooms; enter the one named in the row.
Beat Where to enter Arrival window Additional gates / preparation
36 Ancient Earth Shrine (Altar Chamber) — Medieval, Village Outskirts 15:00–21:00 Willow active
37 Nurse's Room — Medieval, Rose & Thorn 09:00–16:00 Willow active
38 Arcane Room — Medieval, Rose & Thorn Any Player knows Blink
39 The Bar — Medieval, Rose & Thorn 15:00–18:00 Kasumi active
40 Ancient Earth Shrine (Altar Chamber) — Medieval, Village Outskirts 08:00–22:00 —
41 Ancient Earth Shrine — Medieval, Village Outskirts 08:00–22:00 —
42 Arcane Room — Medieval, Rose & Thorn Any —
43 Arcane Room — Medieval, Rose & Thorn Any Bella: Romantic or higher; Blinky: Romantic or higher; Blinky: Never Been Kissed heart-to-heart completed
44 Ancient Earth Shrine (Altar Chamber) — Medieval, Village Outskirts 15:00–21:00 —
45 Rose & Thorn — Medieval, Kings Demesne 08:00–18:00 —
46 Sorceress Home — Medieval, Village Outskirts Any —

Beats 47 to 55 — Present Era Follow-Up

Complete the named side plots and relationship gates as well as the numbered story. Hold the full cash payment in available Wealth when required; investment holdings and uncollected business earnings do not substitute for cash you can spend.
Beat Where to enter Arrival window Additional gates / preparation
47 Food Court (Mall) — Present, Downtown 09:00–14:00 Miki: Friend or higher; Comic Con with Miki completed; The GuGuDolly Emergency completed
48 Dance & Yoga Studio — Present, Downtown 15:00–19:00 Dance Studio Clout 25+
49 Night Club — Present, Downtown 22:00–00:00 Abby: Crush or higher
50 Dance & Yoga Studio — Present, Downtown 19:00–21:00 Miki: Crush or higher
51 Food Court (Mall) — Present, Downtown 09:00–14:00 Miki: Crush or higher; Carry one Flowers item; The Flowers item is consumed
52 Miki's Bedroom — Present, Downtown 18:00–22:00 —
53 Farmers Market — Present, Uptown 07:00–17:00 Meet Christy's Cousin Mary Ann completed
54 Miki's Bedroom — Present, Downtown 18:00–22:00 —
55 Town Hall Office — Present, Uptown 09:00–17:00 Have $10,000,000 in available Wealth; The $10,000,000 is spent

Beats 56 to 62 — Required Visits

Follow the room and time requirements here; the scenes explain their narrative purpose. The guide leaves their outcomes to the game.
Beat Where to enter Arrival window Additional gates / preparation
56 Rose & Thorn — Medieval, Kings Demesne 20:00–23:00 —
57 Nurse's Room — Medieval, Rose & Thorn Any —
58 Torea's Chamber — Present, Uptown Any Floor 25 dungeon guardian defeated
59 Nurse's Room — Medieval, Rose & Thorn Any —
60 City Library (Uptown) — Present, Uptown Any; Library 08:00–22:00 —
61 City Library (Uptown) — Present, Uptown 20:00–22:00 —
62 Ancient Earth Shrine (Altar Chamber) — Medieval, Village Outskirts 15:00–19:00 —

Beats 63 to 76 — Further Preparation

This range has several personal-story gates. A nearby story discussion does not automatically complete Tinker, Jinx, Ghost, Anthrax, or the Syndicate prerequisite for you. Their character/system guides explain how to reach those events.
Beat Where to enter Arrival window Additional gates / preparation
63 Rose & Thorn — Medieval, Kings Demesne 19:00–22:00 —
64 Mountain Foothills — Medieval, Village Outskirts 07:00–17:00 Gem active
65 Nova's Quantum Research Lab — Future, Fringe Zone Any —
66 Operations Center — Future, Resistance base Any —
67 Synthetic Beings Recharge Station — Future, Prime Sector Any —
68 Operations Center — Future, Resistance base Any Tinker: I Have Hands completed; Jinx: The One Variable completed
69 Hyperloop Transit Nexus — Future, Fringe Zone Any —
70 Synthetic Beings Recharge Station — Future, Prime Sector Any —
71 Sacred Anomaly Blessing Temple — Future, Prime Sector Any —
72 AIMy's Control — Future, Resistance base Any Ghost Discovers Ancient Ruins completed
73 Operations Center — Future, Resistance base Any —
74 Operations Center — Future, Resistance base Any —
75 Operations Center — Future, Resistance base Any Anthrax: Report for Training completed
76 Operations Center — Future, Resistance base 22:00–04:00 Complete the Synergy Corp bug-planting operation (The Bug); With Require TD for Story ON, clear all 20 Fortress waves

Beats 77 to 85 — Latest Released Route

Prepare for playable battles at Beats 81 and 83. The location rows below cover the route through the current released endpoint.
Beat Where to enter Arrival window Additional gates / preparation
77 Operations Center — Future, Resistance base Any —
78 Modified Historical Archive Facility — Future, Fringe Zone Any —
79 Ancient Earth Shrine (Altar Chamber) — Medieval, Village Outskirts 15:00–21:00 Complete Sashina's A Final Preparation / Sashina's Gift personal-story event; Pixie, Ember active
80 Rose & Thorn — Medieval, Kings Demesne Any All twelve required workers active; Required participants must not be on resort vacation; See the twelve-worker roster and vacation checklist below
81 Mountain Foothills — Medieval, Village Outskirts 19:00–03:00 Required participants must not be on resort vacation; Story battle with scripted phases; prepare equipment and recovery
82 Rose & Thorn — Medieval, Kings Demesne Any Required participants must not be on resort vacation
83 Rose & Thorn — Medieval, Kings Demesne 19:00–03:00 Required participants must not be on resort vacation; Playable boss battle; prepare equipment, recovery, and QTEs
84 Rose & Thorn — Medieval, Kings Demesne Any —
85 Ancient Earth Shrine (Altar Chamber) — Medieval, Village Outskirts 15:00–21:00 Finish this conversation; current released endpoint

Tower Defense Story Gates

The Notebook has an existing Require TD for Story: ON/OFF setting. With it ON, these two checks apply:
Upcoming beat Required campaign progress Where to prepare
32 All 10 Hideout Defense waves cleared Use Defend the Hideout at the Underground Resistance Hideout after Beat 31
76 All 20 Fortress Breach waves cleared Use Defend the Fortress at the Resistance base's Operations Center
Starting the final wave is not a clear. These checks use saved progress for the correct battlefield; clearing a different map does not satisfy them. An existing saved clear qualifies. Return to the main game with that progress recorded, then revisit the story location.
With the setting OFF, those TD-clear prerequisites are bypassed. TD remains playable. The other story, location, time, relationship, and side-plot requirements still apply, and bypassing a story gate does not award a TD victory or unlock that battlefield's Infinite mode.
At Beat 76, the successful bug-planting prerequisite and the 22:00–04:00 arrival window are required in addition to the TD check. See Tower Defense for armies, equipment, upgrades, controls, and campaign mechanics; see the Syndicate guide for the bug operation.

Late-Route Recruitment and Availability

Beat 79 Preparation

Have Pixie and Ember active and complete Sashina's personal-story preparation. Her action is displayed as A Final Preparation, at the Altar Chamber, and its plot is titled Sashina's Gift. It requires In Love, appears after Beat 55, takes 180 minutes, and has a substantial Energy cost. Follow Sashina's guide for this event without using its completion as a reason to skip the main-story visits.

Beat 80 Roster

The current trigger requires all twelve of these Rose & Thorn workers to be active:
Elara, Sophie, Sandra, Raven, Bellavia, Valkyra, Lindia, Ava and Eva, Gem, Pixie, Willow, and Ember.
Ava and Eva form one worker entry in that twelve-entry check. None of those required participants may be away on a Sirena Isle resort vacation when Beat 80 starts. Check recruitment and current vacations separately; a worker can be recruited yet unavailable for the scene because they are away.

Beats 81 to 83 Availability

Each of these beats also checks whether its required participants are vacationing. Let existing resort stays finish before revisiting the location. These checks do not add a relationship-stage or worker-stat threshold.

Combat Preparation Without Story Outcomes

Several main-story scenes launch ordinary combat. Save before entering, equip your weapon, armor and grimoire where available, and restore Health and Energy. Medicine, healing, Defend, and timely QTE blocks can matter across successive fights. This page does not impose a minimum player stat build where the trigger has none.
Beat Preparation
6 Two successive combat encounters; prepare before the late-night visit
10 Four successive combat encounters; restore resources after the Waterfall training before returning
19 Four successive combat encounters; arrive ready to finish the sequence
81 Story battle with a force field, a shared 8% of enemy maximum HP damage budget per round, and scripted phase transitions; continue through the scene rather than expecting the ordinary zero-HP ending
83 Boss battle with a force field and a shared 7% of enemy maximum HP damage budget per turn; watch telegraphs and protect your resources
The late battles cannot be skipped with fleeing or an ordinary instant-kill effect. For Beat 81, an apparent HP boundary can be a scripted transition. For Beat 83, chains and reflected damage share the same turn budget; more hits do not bypass it. Its core-attack warning describes a hit that bypasses your force field and takes at least half maximum Health even through defenses: recover before that attack resolves. QTE blocks matter on its multi-hit attack.
See Combat System for damage, defense, spell costs, and status effects.

Alignment and Scene Choices

Beats 10, 48, 50, 53, and 55 contain explicit Good / Neutral / Evil alignment choices. Some also offer an unaligned answer. Several other beats award different relationship points depending on the response.
The main numbered route still progresses through the scene's valid choices. An alignment option is not a substitute for a missing relationship, money, room, side-plot, or TD prerequisite. There is no need to reveal a scene's ending to choose the approach that suits your character.

Time Costs and Recovery

Many scenes move the clock when they complete. Plan narrow appointments around that, rather than expecting a day of uninterrupted travel.
Beat Significant clock/resource effect
8 Manual action takes 60 minutes; finishes at Health 20, Energy 1, Calm 1
9 Advances 8 hours; gives +5 Strength/Stamina/Ability and finishes at Health 20, Energy 1, Calm 1
22 Advances 18 hours; finishes at Energy 10, Calm 10, Satiation 10
45, 49, 57, 64, 69, 71, 73 Completion advances 120 minutes each
68 Completion advances 75 minutes
Sashina's A Final Preparation Separate required personal-story action: 180 minutes, with a listed 200 Energy cost before applicable general reductions
Other completion handlers often add 20–90 minutes. The story's clock changes can move you outside the next beat's window; resting and returning the next day is normal. Following Beat 9, recover before Beat 10's combat. Beat 22 can also leave you needing food and Energy restoration before further work.

Troubleshooting

The Next Beat Does Not Trigger

Check the following in order:
  1. Confirm the previous numbered beat has finished, including its remaining dialogue and choices.
  2. Enter the exact room, in the correct era and district.
  3. Arrive inside the listed window; its end hour is excluded.
  4. Check the additional prerequisite in the row: relationship stage, recruited worker, skill, hack, item, available cash, faction Clout, side plot, dungeon guardian, or TD clear.
  5. Make sure the room is unlocked and accessible. For the later cast scenes, check current resort vacations.
  6. For Beats 8 and 11, choose the named manual action. For other beats, leave and re-enter after meeting the requirement.
  7. Read Nova's current Communications hint, and check that your build includes the released content you are trying to play.

Common Stops

Stop What to check
8 Use Ask Lilu to Train You, between 10:00 and 22:00
11 Use Discuss the Research Findings, between 09:00 and 17:00
23 Successfully Hack Archive Terminal, then revisit the Archive
24 Robin: Crush or higher, at her Hunting Lodge in the evening
32 With TD required, clear all ten Hideout waves and return to the Clinic, not just Operations Center
36–37 Willow active; Beat 37 is 09:00–16:00, not any hour
38 Player knows Blink; enter the Arcane Room
39 Kasumi active; enter the Bar between 15:00 and 18:00
43 Bella and Blinky: Romantic or higher, plus Blinky's Never Been Kissed heart-to-heart completed
47 Miki: Friend, Comic Con with Miki, and The GuGuDolly Emergency completed
48 Dance Studio Clout 25+, between 15:00 and 19:00
51 Miki: Crush and one Flowers item, between 09:00 and 14:00; the item is consumed
53 Complete Meet Christy's Cousin Mary Ann, then visit the Farmers Market in its story window
55 Have the full $10,000,000 in Wealth; it is deducted on completion
58 Defeat the Floor 25 dungeon guardian, then enter Torea's Chamber
68 Finish Tinker: I Have Hands and Jinx: The One Variable
72 Finish Ghost Discovers Ancient Ruins
75 Finish Anthrax: Report for Training; it is a separate prerequisite after Beat 74
76 Complete the bug operation, satisfy the Fortress TD check if enabled, and enter Operations Center between 22:00 and 04:00
79–80 Check the required active workers, Sashina preparation, and the Beat 80 vacation/roster checks
81 or 83 These are evening/overnight triggers; restore resources and check current participant vacations

After Beat 85

Beat 85 is the end of the main story released in this version. After finishing it, the end-of-current-content Communications message is expected. Repeating its visits or searching for another numbered trigger will not extend this release.
Character routes, business management, dungeons, minigames, and side quests can still remain. The released Syndicate alliance route can be pursued after this main-story checkpoint; it is separate side content, not a further numbered beat covered by this guide. Check that guide for its starting conditions without needing a preview of future main-story events.
Checked on 4 October 2026 against the current story triggers, completion effects, locations, manual actions, story battles, TD gates, and release limit. Coverage stops at released Beat 85.


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